By Demian Russian
Indie songstress Lana Del Rey performed songs off her highly anticipated album Born To Die, scheduled to be released on Tuesday, January 31, 2012, during an in-studio performance as part of Sirius XM Radio’s (NASDAQQ:SIRI) “SiriusXMU Sessions” series.
SiriusXM listeners will hear Lana Del Rey perform “Video Games,” “Born to Die” and “Blue Jeans,” as well as an in-depth interview with SiriusXMU host Jenny Eliscu. During the interview, Lana Del Rey discussed her top five musical influences: Nirvana, Bob Dylan, Lil Wayne, Nina Simone and Elvis Presley.
SiriusXMU first played Lana Del Rey in August, before she had signed her major label contract and before any other radio outlet.
The “SiriusXMU Session” will premiere on Wednesday, December 7 at 9:00 pm ET on SiriusXMU, channel 35, and will be rebroadcast on Thursday, December 8 at 4:00 pm; Friday, December 9 at 9:00 am; and Sunday, December 11 at 12:00 pm (all times Eastern).
“SiriusXMU Sessions” features stripped-down performances and conversations with different groundbreaking artists. Recent “SiriusXMU Sessions” have featured Youth Lagoon, Real Estate, Girls and Dum Dum Girls.
SiriusXMU plays the best in indie, underground and imports. SiriusXMU listeners will hear music by Animal Collective, Pavement, Arcade Fire, Radiohead, Grizzly Bear, Modest Mouse, Vampire Weekend, Decemberists, Shins and Flaming Lips.
Lana Del Rey -- Photo Credit: Erick Gonzales
Select excerpts from the interview below:
Lana Del Rey on her upcoming album “Born To Die”:
JENNY ELISCU: Are there songs that began completely from scratch…since “Video Games” blew up? I’m wondering how all of what’s happened has affected finishing the album versus the head space you were in when you were starting it 18 months ago—not knowing this would all happen.
LANA DEL REY: My writing process…it’s been the same for a very long time. I never feel rushed. I never feel pressure. I really have a strong idea about what I like to hear myself write and sing. A deadline never compromises things for me. If I didn’t have the right material, I would never release it.
Lana Del Rey on describing her sound:
JENNY ELISCU: …With other people that you work with, what sort of references do you give them? Sonic references? Visual references?
LANA DEL REY: I keep it really clear. I talk a lot about Thomas Newman’s score for American Beauty. That was a soundtrack I really was inspired by. Girogio Mirto, I talk about the orchestral work he’s done. Think Thomas Newman score for American Beauty meets early Bruce Springsteen “sex Americana.” And put them together, but place it in Miami and have me singing it. That’s what I tell them.
Lana Del Rey on Kurt Cobain:
JENNY ELISCU: What’s the first music you remember hearing as a kid that kind of pushed the emotional button?
LANA DEL REY: When I was 11, I saw Kurt Cobain singing “Heart Shaped Box” on MTV and it really stopped me dead in my tracks. And I thought he was the most beautiful person I had ever seen. Even at a young age, I really related to his sadness. I felt like I was really searching for answers. And I thought I could see that in him, briefly, in 3 minutes and 42 seconds, or whatever. So I saw him for the first time on TV when I was 11, and I never revisited his music again until I was about 17 or 18; and then when I did, it still meant just as much to me then and it’s continued to be my primary…inspiration—in terms of not wanting to compromise lyrically or sonically. Not making music that I..thought was really stupid. Just singing over pop tunes just to be famous.
Lana Del Rey on indie rock:
JENNY ELISCU: Have you discovered any indie rock that you like?
LANA DEL REY: Yeah, actually. In the last six months, I found Frank Ocean…Aesop Rock…Odd Future…The Weeknd.
Disclosure: Long SIRI
Contact the author: DemianRussian@SatelliteRadioPlayground.com
